Hey, Pasadena Drivers—Pay Attention!

Not-so-fun facts:
—Pasadena has the second-highest rate of pedestrian-car accidents for mid-size cities in California, behind only Berkeley.
— In 2010 alone, cars in Pasadena hit a whopping 83 pedestrians.
— Contrary to what you might think, the majority of these accidents do not stem from jaywalking—the walker is most often either in a crosswalk or crossing on a green light.
— 80% of these accidents are the driver’s fault.

The Public Affairs Office has just launched a campaign to reduce the number of pedestrian deaths in Pasadena. Because of our sad statistics, the city got funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety to educate both drivers and pedestrians about the issue. The campaign, entitled “Stop Before the Line,” features safety mascots named Dena the pedestrian and Otis the driver, who give each other tips at the campaign site, watch4pedestrians.com. The primary goal: to hammer home the need for drivers to stop before the double white line in the crosswalk. So we’re doing our part to spread the word.